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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

The University of Arizona Center for Rural Health Annual Report FY 2023-2024
Highlights the Center for Rural Health's accomplishments, and describes challenges and opportunities for improving the health of rural Arizonans in the upcoming year. Discusses the State Office of Rural Health, Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP), Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility program (AzFLEX), Arizona Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (AzSHIP), and other programs.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Assessing and Advancing Progress in the Delivery of High-Quality Cancer Care: Proceedings of a Workshop
Proceedings of a workshop focused on assessing progress in cancer care quality and equity in the past decade, from 2013-2023. Includes discussion on changes, strategies, and advances in cancer care, as well as how to improve cancer care for various populations, such as rural residents.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): National Cancer Policy Forum
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Ending Unequal Treatment: Strategies to Achieve Equitable Health Care and Optimal Health for All
Examines racial and ethnic health inequities in health and healthcare, including discussion of enablers and barriers of health equity, changes in healthcare systems over time, approaches to health equity interventions and research, and health equity policy. Mentions rural, tribal, and indigenous populations throughout. Pages 229-233 highlight successful Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and American Indian initiatives and partnerships.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Health Care Access Barriers Among Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Populations of Eight Geographically Diverse States, 2018
Reports on healthcare access and demographic differences in metro and nonmetro populations. Utilizes Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data to observe differences in noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan sociodemographics and access barriers such as insurance, cost, non-financial delays in care, and more.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth L. Crouch, Radhika Ranganathan, Jan M. Eberth
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1)
Date: 2024
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Rural Mental Health in the United States 2006–2022: An Overview and Annotated Bibliography
Provides a comprehensive overview of mental health in the rural United States. Includes chapters focused on a rural perspective of mental health, the demographic profile of rural areas by substance abuse, mental health service delivery, workforce challenges and opportunities, comparative information about rural mental health outside the U.S., and the future of rural mental health in the U.S.
Author(s): Jasmine R. Davis, David Lambert, Sree Sinha, et al.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
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Serious Illness Care Research: Exploring Current Knowledge, Emerging Evidence, and Future Directions: Proceedings of a Workshop
Reports proceedings of a November 2023 workshop on serious illness care research. Includes content of presentations and discussions on lived experience of affected individuals, current and future state of the field, approaches to addressing research gaps, barriers and facilitators to health equity in research, and translation to practice. Pages 76-79 include discussion of rural health equity in palliative care.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024: Achieving the Bold Vision of Health Equity
Discusses cancer disparities with focus on race and ethnicity, rural and other medically underserved populations, social determinants of health, research, related health conditions, screening, mortality, workforce, and public policy. Discusses rural throughout including rural and urban comparisons.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: American Association for Cancer Research
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The Task Force on Maternal Mental Health's Report to Congress
A report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on maternal mental health including barriers to care, federal programs doing relevant work, identifying best practices, and offering suggestions to improve federal infrastructure. Topics discussed include substance use, mortality, social determinants of health, data gathering, community engagement, telehealth, screening, violence, policy, access to care, stigma, and more. Highlights programs across the country addressing maternal mental health issues including some in rural areas. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Healthy Places NC: 10 Years That Changed the Way We Work
Reports on 10 years of activities by Healthy Places NC, an initiative focused on health improvement in North Carolina's rural and underserved communities. Discusses planning and implementation, challenges, lessons, case studies, network development and collaboration, and more. Describes the importance of addressing racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities and achieving health equity.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Video: 10 Years of Healthy Places NC
Author(s): Kristen Burwell Naney, Douglas Easterling, Tanya Beer, Mina Silberberg
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
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2024 Status of Women and Girls in Minnesota
Report examining economic opportunity, safety, health and wellness, and leadership equality among women and girls in Minnesota based on data from the American Community Survey, Minnesota Student Survey, and other sources. Highlights disparities in healthcare access, food security, and environmental health for rural populations.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy, University of Minnesota, Women's Foundation of Minnesota
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